Mail-bag holder.



W. P. SARGENT.

MAIL BAG HOLDER.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 20,1911.

1,019,366, Patented. Mar. 5, 1912.

2 S5EBTS-SHBBT 1.

COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH Cu., WASHINGTQN. n. C.

W. P. sARGE-NT.

MAIL BAGHULDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,1911.

Afro/iwf! oNiTnn sTATEs PATENT onirica.

WILLIAM P. SARGENT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BAG HOLDER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led .Tuly 20, 1911.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. SAR- GENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and luseful Mail-Bag Holder, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder to which empty bags can be readily attached in such position that their mouths are fully distended and from which the bags can be readily detached by a slight effort on the part of the operator and without the exercise of strength even though the bags are filled with heavy material.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description which will be made in connection with the preferred embodiments chosen from other possible embodiments for the purpose of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l, is a top or plan view of a bag holder embodying features of the invention. Fig. 2, is a side view of the same. Fig. 3, is a cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing a bag secured to the holder. Fig. 4, is a cross-sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating details of construct-ion. Fig. 5, is a top or plan view of a part of a bag holder rack embodying features of the invention. Fig. 6, is a side view of the same, partly in section, and Fig. 7, is a transverse sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, and illustrating a bag holder embodying a modification of the invention. j

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, there is a group of selfbinding clamps, each comprising a fixed jaw or member 1 and a movable jaw or member 2 having thereon a wedge-like face 3, which may or may not be roughened as desired. The self-binding clamps of the group are arranged at the corners of an imaginary rectangle and if this rectangle be made of a size corresponding to the opening of the smallest bag that is to be used, it will be found that bags of larger and varying size can be satisfactorily held with their mouths in open position for the reception of whatever mail matter is to be put in them. The supports for the fixed jaws may be variously arranged, but as shown in said figures, they consist of parallel pieces or angle-irons 4 and 5. The shanks 6 of these angle-irons are connected by the member 8, and may be inserted in sockets 7 forming, if desired, part of a table, not shown. Each angle-iron or piece 4 and 5 is provided with two self-binding clamps, one near its outer and one near its inner end. l

The fixed jaws 1, are all alike, as are the other parts of the clamps so that a description will be given of one clamp, for example the one shown in Fig. 4.

The fixed jaw 1 is bolted or otherwise secured to the piece or angle-iron 5 and depends therefrom. This jaw is provided with a generally vertical working face 9 and wit-h a rounded end 10, for purposes to be present-ly described.

11, is a bearing piece or journal bracket screwed or otherwise attached to the piece or angle-iron 5 and arranged to dependinto juxtaposition with the working face 9. As has been said, there are two such parts 11 on each of the pieces or angle-irons, 5, and extending between them there is a rod or shaft 12. Mounted upon the shaft 12 so as to be capable of turning movement, is the movable jaw 2 and this jaw 2 is arrangedv between the part 11 and a collar 13 on the rod, or shaft 12. The wedge-like face 3 is formed by a cam or eccentric portion of the jaw 2.

14, is a spring that controls the position of t-he jaw 2'but is not relied upon for the binding action. One end 'of the spring 14, is secured to a fixed part of the device, as shown to the angle-iron 5, Fig.4, and the other end bears down upon the top face of the jaw 2. However, the presence of this spring is not necessary and it may therefore be omitted. j

15, is a handle by means of which the rod 12 can be turned and which by reason of its weight insures the 'return of the rod 12 to a given position when the handle is released. The rod 12 is provided with a radially projecting pin or projection 1G in the path of which lies a pin or projection 17 extending laterally from the face of the movable jaw 2 and therefore axially of the rod l2.

Under ordinary conditions z'. e. when no bag is present, the spring 14 turns the jaw 2 into contact with the jaw 1 and the handle 15 brings the pin or projection 16 into the position shown in Fig. 4. lVhen the material of which the bag is made is applied to the holder it is inserted by pulling it up between the wedge-like face 3 of the jaw 2 and the face 9 of the jaw 1. The curved portion of the latter, 10, as well as the curved shape of the jaw 2, facilitates the introduction of the bag material. 'Ihe weight of the bag assisted by the action of the spring 14, when present, causes t-he jaw 2 to turn downward and thus bind the bag material between the jaws and as the weight of the bag increases, by addition to its contents, the clamp is self-binding in the Vsense that it binds the material between the jaws tighter and tighter. It will of course be understood that a part of the bag is applied to each of the self-binding clamps in the manner described, which is that the material of the bag is simply pulled up between the two jaws and is immediately gripped thereby so that the bag may be very rapidly applied to the holder and this even though the bags vary in size, as is the case with mail bags. Each movable jaw is free to operate independently of all the others when the bag is being applied to the holder. 'I`o remove the bag the handle 15 is turned inwardly so that the pin 16 contacts with the pin 17 turns the jaw 2 upwardly, thus releasing the bag, and since each rod 12 operates upon two movable jaws, it is evident that by turning the handle 15, one side of the bag is released and by turning the corresponding handle the other Side of the bag is released, or the operator may turn both handles at once and in that way immediately release the bags and this without having to lift the bags or to exert any considerable force or effort.

The construction and arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is the same as has been de scribed with reference to Figs. 1 to 4, except that the pieces or angle-irons 4a and 5f* are carried at their ends by rails or angle-irons 18, which are mounted upon legs or standards 19, thus forming a rack fitted with the described bag holders. Furthermore there is a handle 15a and 15b near each of the rails 1S, so that the bags can be released from either side of the rack.

'Ihe construction and arrangement shown in Fig. 7, is substantially the same as has been described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4, except that the bracketor hanger 11a is provided with a hook 20 which encircles and is bolted or otherwise secured to a rod or pipe 21 that may project from a support or table, and except that the rod 12a is provided with a projecting feather or key 16a, which is afforded a range f movement in the segmental notch 17a formed in the jaw 2a so that the jaw 2a is afforded a cert-ain range of movement during which the feather 16a does not contact with either end wall of the notch or slot 17a. The jaw 2a is also moved when the shaft 12a is turned, because the feather lf, contacts with the lower end wall of the slot 17a.

What I claim is: 1. A bag holder comprising the combinatio'n of a group of self-binding clamps each adapted for independent receiving operation, and means for simultaneously releasin'g several of these clamps.

2. A bag holder comprising the combination of a group of self-binding clamps each comprising a xed jaw and a movable jaw having between them a wedge-like face, and means for permitting independent movement of the movable jaw of each clamp for the receiving operation and for simultaneously moving the movable jaws of several clamps for the releasing operation.

3. In a bag holder the combination of fixed jaws, a rod turnable on its axis and in uxtaposition with the fixed jaws, movable jaws turnably mounted on said rod and adapted to cooperate with the fixed jaws, and connections between said rod and movable jaws whereby the latter are afforded a range of motion independent of the rod and are turned by the turning of the rod, substantially as described.

4. In a bag holder the combination of fixed jaws, a turnable rod, jaws independently pivoted on the rod, and constituting with the fixed jaws self binding clamps and coperating projections on the rod and movable jaws, substantially as described.

5. In a bag holder the combination of a fixed jaw, a turnable rod provided with a handle by the weight of which it is positioned, a movable jaw turnably mounted on the rod, and means interposed between the movable jaw and rod, whereby the former maybe independent of the rod when the latter is in one position and whereby the movable jaw is turned when the rod is turned out of such position.

6. In a bag holder the combination of fixed jaws, a turnable rod provided with a handle, movable jaws, and means interposed between the movable jaws and rod and adapted to release a group of jaws and to afford them individual freedom of engaging motion, substantially as described.

7 A bag holder comprising the combination of parallel supports, an axially turnable rod in juxtaposition to each of said supports, fixed jaws depending from vthe supports and spaced one near the end of each support, movable jaws coperating with the fixed jaws to constitute self-binding clamps,

and means interposed between the rods and movable jaws whereby the latter are normally individually free for operation and are released in groups when the rods are turned, substantially as described.

8. A bag holder comprising the combination of supports, coperatin iXed and movable jaws depending from t e supports and constituting self-binding clamps arranged at the corners of an imaginary rectangle,

signed my name.

WVM. P. SARGENT. Vitnesses:

S. E. PATTERSON, FRANK E. FRENCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

